Friday, July 14, 2017

CMBA Blog Profile: Stars and Letters

Stars and Letters is a movie (and history) lover's dream.The site provides letters written by Classic Hollywood filmmakers such as David O. Selznick, Marilyn Monroe and Richard Burton, among many others. With each letter (or note or telegram), Janet provides a transcript in case the image of the original is somewhat illegible.These letters are gems, providing an intimate snapshot of contract negotiations, responses to fans and even celebrity life. For example, look at Greta Garbo's 1963 letter to Jackie Kennedy."Although Garbo's
letter is just a very short thank-you to her hostess," says Janet, "I really like the story
behind Garbo's letter, the fact that it solved the mystery of President
Kennedy's missing 'tooth'."

Stars and Letters: Both my parents are classic film
fans so I grew up watching old films. The films I saw during my childhood were
mainly westerns, swashbucklers and MGM musicals, and most of them I
initially watched dubbed in German. (I am Dutch, grew up without cable
television and classic Hollywood films were mainly shown on German television.)
Much later I discovered other films I liked, like film noirs and even later
pre-codes. Although I also like a good modern film, I do have a strong
preference for classic films. (And there are enough classic films I haven't
seen yet to last me a lifetime!)

CMBA: What makes a
film a "classic" in your opinion?

Stars and Letters: I would call a Hollywood film a
"classic" if it was made between the late 1920s and mid-1960s (my
favourite decades being the 1930s and 1940s). Obviously, in a different sense,
a "classic" is a film that has stood the test of time, that can be
viewed over and over again and still be amazing, whether an old
classic like Casablanca or a modern classic like The
Shawshank Redemption.

CMBA: What classic
film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

Stars and Letters: I would simply recommend some of my
personal favourites, such as Stage Door, His Girl Friday, The Apartment,
The Adventures of Robin Hood (my favourite swashbuckler), Remember the
Night (my favourite Christmas film). How can anyone not like
these?!

CMBA: Why should
people care about classic film?

Stars and Letters: Because they are so sophisticated
and stylish, and not just because of the way they look (set design,
cinematography, costumes, glamorous looking actors/actresses), but also because
of the way people talked, the dialogue, without using the f*word all the time.
And even with a bad classic film (and there are a lot of those), there is
almost always something in it worthwhile. Also, classic Hollywood provided
genres which have basically disappeared now. Screwball comedies, film-noir,
westerns, swashbucklers, musicals and pre-codes (if you can call the latter a
genre) – they are part of a bygone era and should all be cherished.

CMBA: What is the most
rewarding thing about blogging?

Stars and Letters: My blog is different from other
CMBA blogs. I post classic Hollywood correspondence along with related
background information. I love searching the internet for letters and the
stories behind them. And when I find something interesting or surprising, I can
really get a kick out of that! That Clara Bow was a Marlon Brando fan, for
example, I never knew before doing this blog.

CMBA: What challenges
do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

Stars and Letters: I rely on material I can find on
the internet and while there is enough classic Hollywood correspondence to be
found, it's not always easy to come up with something exciting.
And because of the lack of time, I don't post as much as I want to.

CMBA: What advice
would you give to a new blogger?

Stars and Letters: Pick a topic you like and write
about that (whether it's reviews or something else). I think it's imperative
that you love what you're doing, it should be fun and not feel like homework.
Only when you enjoy doing your blog, it will be able to survive. And try to
post on a regular basis (I should follow my own advice!). But even if you don't
post regularly, if you love your blog you will always come back to it.

Thank
you for joining us, Janet! You can visit Stars and Letters HERE.

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What is the Classic Movie Blog Association?

The Classic Movie Blog Association (CMBA) is a group of blogs dedicated to the celebration of classic cinema. The CMBA accepts new members periodically throughout the calendar year. If you are interested in joining, click here for more information.